{UAH} TOUGH TO BE LECTURER AT MAK: No money to pay Makerere lecturers - Museveni
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No money to pay Makerere lecturers - Museveni
Written by URN
President Museveni has sternly warned any civil servants intending to lay down tools in industrial action, saying his government will not tolerate this anymore.
Addressing the media from Kawumu state lodge in Makulubita sub-county in Luweero yesterday evening where he has been camped since last Saturday, Museveni says the striking lecturers of Makerere University cannot hold his government at ransom and should instead be patient as government finds money to pay them.
The strong warning comes a day after President Museveni ordered the indefinite closure of Makerere after failed negotiations between the university council, management and the striking lecturers. The lecturers laid down their tools in late October to protest non-payment of their salary incentives for the last 8 months amounting to Shs 28bn.
"We are not refusing to pay the arrears of those lecturers but they should wait, because we are doing other things also. Now when you have got people who've got an attitude of 'if you don't do this today, I am going to okwediima (strike)'. That is not a good way, that is not a good way. Nanyini kintu tasanyalaza (the owner of something is its biggest protector). If I do farming, I cannot say that; because rain has delayed, I have abandoned everything. Rain has delayed here, but we are patient, we continue, now it has come", he said.
"That attitude [of strikes] is not a good attitude. I want to tell you that we are not going to tolerate this type of indiscipline anymore. Finished! This is Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo (term of no games), remember. You cannot have somebody okutuga (hold hostage) government; 'if you don't give me money now, am going to paralyse the country. No, no."
Museveni said that government is determined to even increase salaries of university professors to Shs 15m from Shs 8m, but asked them to wait a little longer since there is no money at the moment to do so.
Museveni also disclosed that the university will be reopened soon to enable students to continue with their studies. It is not clear whether the lecturers will return to class without receiving their salary incentives. The lecturers are expected to meet later today to deliberate on the council resolutions, and decide their next course of action.
"We want to open the university as soon as possible such that the children don't miss their studies", said Museveni.
Yesterday the university and its services were closed from the students and the public with students ordered out of halls of residence by 9.00am. They were also not allowed near hostels around the university with fears that they could mobilise further to strike again after their strike on Monday that paralysed operations at the university and surrounding areas.
Recently, the university council promised to pay the lecturers their salary incentive for one month as they look for additional resources to clear the remaining balance. Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) blames the persistent strikes at the university on the failures by the administration and council.
The MUASA leadership accuses the university management and council of ineptness in managing internally generated funds and failure of the council to act.
The vice chancellor Prof Ddumba Ssentamu yesterday said the closure was "long overdue" and that it will give everybody a chance to reflect on how under-funded the university is.
He said Makerere's current problems are because of the current leadership as they have been there before his reign and shall still be there after if no lasting solutions are found.
"People say money is being stolen at the university, but when you ask them who's stealing the money, everybody keeps quiet", he said.
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